Trail Blazers Extend Qualifying Offers to Leonard, Harkless, and Crabbe

The Portland Trail Blazers have extended qualifying offers to Meyers Leonard, Maurice Harkless, and Allen Crabbe, according to Jason Quick of CSNNW.

Trail Blazers extended qualifying offers to Meyers Leonard, Maurice Harkless, Allen Crabbe https://t.co/tFLDYa93Aj

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) June 29, 2016

What does that mean?

Per CBAFAQ.com, this is the process necessary to become a restricted free agent.

In order to make their free agent a restricted free agent, a team must submit a qualifying offer to the player between the day following the last game of the NBA Finals and June 30. The qualifying offer is a standing offer for a one-year guaranteed contract, which becomes a regular contact if the player decides to sign it. This ensures that the team does not gain the right of first refusal without offering a contract themselves. The amount of the qualifying offer for players on rookie "scale" contracts is based on the player's draft position. The qualifying offer for all other players must be for 125% of the player's previous salary, or the player's minimum salary (see question number 16) plus $200,000, whichever is greater.

This means that the Trail Blazers have extended qualifying offers (QO) to these three players, and these players now have the option to accept or reject.

If they reject the QO, then they become restricted free agents and the Blazers have the chance to match any contract that a rival team offers when free agency kicks off on July 1.

If they accept the QO, they are then under contract for a single season at the QO rate (dictated by draft position), and once that contract ends (one year later) they become unrestricted free agents able to sign for and up to the max allowed (based on years of service, awards, etc.).

As far as cap concerns go, the Blazer's cap space is not affected unless Harkless, Leonard, and/or Crabbe elect to sign the qualifying offer. However, with the exploding salary cap, this is highly unlikely.